Home Depot locating at Memorial and Penn

[Patrick]

Okay, I think this intersection has just about all it can handle. Can someone please tell developers that enough is enough!!! Oh well....I'm a Lowes man! By the way, they're going to be building a new Lowes where David Stanley Ford currently sits at 39th and N. May! David Stanley is moving across the street! Bye, bye DubRichardson Ford building!

Anyways, Home Depot says it will keep adding stores to the OKC market! My question is where? Seems like they've pretty much saturated the market now!

Hmmm...if anyone has any ideas where this store might be chime in! The only open land I could think of was just west of Lowes, or on the other side of Memorial, just east of Circuit City. Any ideas?

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"Home Depot to add eighth metro store
by Heidi R. Centrella
The Journal Record
1/10/2005

Adding to the slew of building along W. Memorial Road, Home Depot plans to open its eighth metro-area store near N. Pennsylvania Avenue by the first of June.
"There's a penetration of business out in that side of the city that we aren't currently picking up either at our Northwest Expressway store or our Edmond location," said Roger Nix, district manager. "As you can see, the new building and construction on the west side of Edmond and also the Piedmont-Deer Creek area, with the traffic patterns that exist today, we feel like we can pick that business up there."

The store will employ between 130 and 150 associates.

Two other stores in Oklahoma also are under construction - in Ada and Tulsa - both with completion dates scheduled for year's end. These openings will bring the total number of stores in the state to 16.

"There will probably be more than that," Nix said. "But at least three are turning dirt right now. There's a need probably for several additional Oklahoma City stores."

In the last six months, the company opened 69 stores in the United States and 10 in Canada. Home Depot operated 1,826 stores at the end of the third fiscal quarter ended Oct. 31. The company's sales were $64.8 billion for the fiscal year ended Feb. 1, 2004.

According to the county assessor's Web site, the Memorial Road 11.6-acre site cost $2.26 million. But Home Depot corporate officials did not return phone calls requesting construction costs for the new location.

City spokeswoman Karen Farney said the city's finance department figured average annual gross sales for a retail operation is $300 per square foot, and if it's a high-density store, such as a Best Buy - or Home Depot, for example - sales average $600 per square foot.

"It's kind of a rule of thumb that we use," Farney said. "We use that when we're calculating economic impact and things like that."

Nix said the average Home Depot store is comprised of 102,000 square feet, excluding the garden centers that make up another 36,000 to 38,000 square feet per store."

[oklacity75]

I know where its going to go..... next time your in that area look at the area north of shell station that sets just north of Toys R, US. There are several large earth moving machines working the land in that area. The area they are clearing is big enough for a big box store.

I work for Circuit City we built at Penn and Memorial for the same reason home depot is building there. That area has a whole market of customers that are having to drive a great distance to shop with us. I think Wal-Mart's large presence of supercenters is proving to other retailers that oklahoma city can support a multitude of stores of the same company. Best Buy is already in Norman I predicate one day will be there as well if not in Moore. Choctaw and Yukon are exploding with growth so I can almost bet those areas will also see some major retailers before long.

BTW did you noticed Grandy's closed down, I wonder if they are going to tear it down just like they did to the one on NW Expressway. If my count is right there are only five Grandy's left in the metro.

[Patrick]

You know, I wondered about that location myself, but the article said it would be on Memorial Rd. Maybe the article is wrong. My guess also lies with that site across from Super Target.....if that's the case, Sears and O'Connors are going to get a run for their money.

[Patrick]

Unfortunately, I'm not surprised Grandy's are closing. Last time I was in there, the food just wasn't as good as years past.

[Patrick]

Yeah, I forgot about Yukon, Moore, etc. I bet Home Depot locates there before too long.

[oklacity75]

Have you been southside lately?

I-240 and PENN is going through a makeover as we speak. The old Walmart is being torn down and replaced with a shopping center that will face 240. It will look similar to Belle Isle. The mardels will also be torn down and it will be relocated into the shopping center. On the Border is going in next to Santa Fe.

These tenants have already reserved space: Old Navy. Marshalls, Michaels (relocating from walnut square), PetsMart (relocating from across 240), Pier One and a few more I can't remember. The completion date is set for the fall.

At 240 and Walker, the old Pratts shopping center has been demolished. Chuck E. Cheese is going to be rebuilt and a national retailer has commited to the site but their keeping quiet. Life Church leased the remainer of the old builder square that Academy didn't use.

[Patrick]

I was down on the southside last week and happened to see site work being done at the old Wal-Mart location. I think that will be a great location for a strip center.

I guess most of the old Wal-Marts are being used for other uses now. Incredible Pizza will be opening soon on NW Expressway in the old Wal-Mart location. Obviously, the one on I-240 was demolished last week. And the old Wal-Mart in the Village is being used as a church and self storage company!

I'll be interested in hearing what national retailer wil be locating at I-240 and Walker. I know Pratts was forced out of their lease a few years back.

With all of the new strip centers sprouting up, malls are really going to have to work hard in their leasing strategies. I noticed this past Christmas that the centers around Quail Springs Mall were much busier than the mall itself.

[oklacity75]

Speaking of Incredible Pizza I highly recommend a visit to this place. I went with my sisters family a few months back to the one in Tulsa. It was great I'm going to post more about it in "Best and Worst".

[mranderson]

Yeah, I forgot about Yukon, Moore, etc. I bet Home Depot locates there before too long.

Home Depot announced sometime last year plans to locate in Moore. It is too close to the location at 240 and Shields, in my opinion.

Plus. Lowe's is nipping at their heels, so, the real reason Home Depot is expanding the way they are is to compete with the only player in danger of unseating them as the largest home improvement center.

Here is a good way of knowing that. In most cases, notice (nationwide) where there is a Lowe's, Home Depot is not far away. Usually within a block or two. Sometimes, across the street... Literally.

[okcpulse]

Grandy's is a has been. Haven't eaten there in 10 years.

BTTS, someone needs to tell the Oklahoma City Public Works Department that if city planners are going to keep letting retail come in, they seriously need to expand that intersection. It was total gridlock during Christmas. Now a Home Depot is going in?

[Ms.Relaxationstation]

I'm really happy to hear they are bringing in some nicer stores on the southside of OKC. I have lived southside (waaayy south) for the last 10 years and I'm tired of driving to Norman or to Northside OKC to shop at decent stores. I'm just wondering if these stores will be installing barbed-wires fences also . LOL

[mranderson]

Grandy's is a has been. Haven't eaten there in 10 years.

BTTS, someone needs to tell the Oklahoma City Public Works Department that if city planners are going to keep letting retail come in, they seriously need to expand that intersection. It was total gridlock during Christmas. Now a Home Depot is going in?

Plans are already in the works to expand that intersection which will include these "Texas" turnarounds most people do not know how to use properly.

Timeframe is not set due to funding, however, do not worry. It is coming.

[Keith]

I know one thing....I am so ready for the road construction to be over with on S. Walker, between SW.70, and just past Academy, on the south side of I-240. If you try to pull in to Pep Boys or Academy from the north, during the rush hour, forget it. Rush hour traffic is not that friendly anymore, and they will not let you turn in. If you try to turn left, all you will be doing is holding up all the traffic behind you.

The property that used to be Pratt's is looking better, as they continue to redevelop the property. I am really surprised that Chuck E. Cheese is staying.

[metro]

okc75, are you sure thats where they are putting the Quail Home Depot, it looks to me it would be another large strip center and they would put the Home Depot just east of the P.F. Changs/ Circuit City development? mranderson was right, they are very soon going to be adding additional turn lanes and eventually "texas turnarounds" at memorial and Penn. They need to add an extra lane on memorial though.

[Floating_adrift]

With the traffic as bad as it is right now at Penn and Memorial, I cannot imagine what it will be like with a lot of road construction too. Should be interesting to say the least.

It looked like they were also creating a new road in the field just north of the Quail Springs parking lot. That site easily looks large enough to 'field' a Home Depot. I think the site near the Shell station is going to be a strip mall similar to the one at Danforth and Santa Fe in Edmond.

[okcpulse]

Yes, I have been aware of the plans for Texas turnarounds. I just wish they'd start soon. Time's running out.

[mranderson]

Yes, I have been aware of the plans for Texas turnarounds. I just wish they'd start soon. Time's running out.

I just wish people would learn how to use them. They use them to avoid the second stop light, which causes traffic problems.

[Floating_adrift]

Whats a Texas Turnaround and how do you use them?

[oklacity75]

okc75, are you sure thats where they are putting the Quail Home Depot, it looks to me it would be another large strip center and they would put the Home Depot just east of the P.F. Changs/ Circuit City development? mranderson was right, they are very soon going to be adding additional turn lanes and eventually "texas turnarounds" at memorial and Penn. They need to add an extra lane on memorial though.

I'm just guessing I'm not sure where its actuall going to go.

[mranderson]

Whats a Texas Turnaround and how do you use them?

Travel down the access road of I-240. When you get to the intersection, there are u turn lanes. Those are called "Texas turnarounds."

They are used to do a u turn in order to enter a freeway or to go into the next lane. Here is an example of bad use. There is a Total station at the corner of 240 and Pennsylvania. The entrance is just as you leave the turnaround. A lot of people will slide over into the parking lot instead of taking the left turn lane, turning left, then turning left again from the other traffic light.

Another example would be when they try to enter Southern Hills shopping center, and come off the turnaround and slide over three lanes.

These moves are illegal and dangerous. I have gotten to the point I hate those turnarounds. Give them back to Dallas.

[oklacity75]

A Texas Turnaround allows you to make a U- turn without waiting at the light. They are commonly found at intersections with underpasses. They have texas turnarounds all along 240 between santa fe and may.

[Patrick]

I went up to Quail Springs a little while ago and went into the Shell on the corner.....I asked the clerk if he knew what they were building behind the station. He told me the manager told him it was going to be a Home Depot. So take that for what it's worth. I drove by the site, and the graveled area where the foundation will be poured looks large enough to be a Home Depot. My money is on Home Depot.

I also took a look at the land just east of of Circuit City......there's a creek of some sort that runs through the middle of the property, so quite a bit of site work would have to be done there. It's possible Home Depot could be locating there, but I'm thinking oklacity75 is right on the money in his assessment. If that's the case, look for O'Connors to go out of business soon, and prices to fall at Sears.

I like all of the development gonig on on Memorial Rd., but I still question all of the retail clumped in one corner of Memorial Rd. Look at NW Expressway. On NW Expressway, stores are mixed with offices all up and down NW Expressway. This makes traffic a little better. On Memorial Rd, retail is all concentrated near one intersection, and the rest of Memorial Rd. is either offices or open land.

I would've much rather have seen Home Depot locate at the SE corner of May Ave. and Memorial Rd, directly north of Quail Ridge Apartments. Personally, I think that would've been a better location and Home Depot might've even won business by not being on a traffic nighmare corner.

Regardless, the development is continuing at Penn and Memorial. Now what the city needs to do is what they did at Penn and NW Expressway.....put in double turn lanes. I think that would help out a lot. Right now there are just single turn lanes at that intersection. Also Texas turn loops will definitely help. People coming east on Memorial, hitting the intersection of Penn and Memorial, wanting to go to Gordmans, Best Buy, the mall, etc, could use the turn loops instead of waiting at the light.

[Patrick]

We had an onslaught of new posts here last night and early this morning by a new poster, so I'm just moving the more recent posts to the front page.

[metro]

I drove by late last night out of curiousity, that site is even bigger than I thought. it looked like three separate large slabs were poured. I called the number on the construction banner and it was a discontinued number.

[Patrick]

It appears that the larger slab on the west side could hold a Home Depot. How far apart were the individual slabs you saw? Could they have been part of their garden buildings?
I'll have to go check it out this afternoon. If I see anyone on site. I'll ask.